American Biog. iii_ 445 (1889).
JOHNSON, JOHN SAMUEL WILLES (eld. son of rev. Charles Johnson,
preb. of Wells, _d._ 1841). _b._ South Stoke near Bath 3 July
1793; entered R.N. 1 Feb. 1807; commander 6 Feb. 1821, on
h.p. from Aug. 1842; captain 9 Nov. 1846; served at capture
of Algiers 1816 and in the first Chinese war 1841; M.P.
for Montgomery district 4 May 1861 to death; author of The
traveller’s guide through France, Italy and Switzerland 1828.
_d._ Hannington hall, Highworth, Wiltshire 25 July 1863.
JOHNSON, JOSEPH. _b._ 1791; a brushmaker in or near Manchester;
tried with Henry Hunt and 8 others at York assizes 16–27 March
1820 for conspiracy and unlawfully assembling in St. Peter’s
Field, Manchester 16 Aug. 1819, sentenced to be imprisoned for
one year in Lincoln castle 15 May 1820; author of A letter to
H. Hunt esq. relating to certain accounts. Manchester 1822, 2
ed. 1822; A second letter to H. Hunt 1822. d. Sep. 1872 aged 81.
_Reports of State Trials_, _i_ 171–496 (1888).
JOHNSON, MANUEL JOHN (only son of John William Johnson of Macao,
China). _b._ Macao 23 May 1835; ed. Addiscombe; lieut. H.E.I.
Co.’s artillery at St. Helena 1821–32, where he erected the St.
Helena observatory 1828; matric. from Magd. hall, Oxf. 1835,
B.A. 1839, M.A. 1842; in charge of Radcliffe observatory, Oxf.
1839 to death; made observations of double stars and a catalogue
of 6,317 circumpolar stars; adopted the photographic method
of registering meteorological facts 1854; F.R.S. 5 June 1856;
F.R.A.S., president 1857–8; made a collection of engravings,
sold for £3,359 April 1860; author of A catalogue of 606
principal fixed stars in the Southern Hemisphere observed at
the magnetical and meteorological observatory, St. Helena 1835;
Astronomical observations made at the Radcliffe observatory,
Oxford 1840–58. Oxford 1842 etc. _d._ The observatory, Oxford
28 Feb. 1859; Johnson prize instituted 1862 and given once in 4
years to astronomers. _Proc. Royal Soc. x_ 21–4 (1860); _Monthly
Notices R.A. Soc. xix_ 169–70 (1859), _xx_ 123–30 (1860);
_Mozley’s Reminiscences_, _ii_ 188–99 (1882).
JOHNSON, PAUL. _b._ 1789; ed. St. John’s coll. Camb., B.A. 1811,
M.A. 1814; R. of Sidestrand, Norfolk 1834–72; R. of Overstrand
1841–72; author of The fall of the Yarmouth suspension bridge,
with reflections. Norwich 1845; The death of the prince imperial
Louis Napoleon, a poem 1879; An epitome in verse of the life of
the Prince Consort 1883. _d._ Kirmington, Ulceby, Lincs. 29 Oct.
1883.
JOHNSON, PERCIVAL NORTON (only son of John Johnson, at one time
the only commercial assayer in London). _b._ 1793; worked with
his father; assayer and metallurgist at 79 Hatton garden, London
about 1816; began and carried on manufacture of German silver,
and introduced it to general use in England; invented several
pottery colours, amongst them the rose-pink; the first person
who refined and manufactured platinum upon a commercial scale;
F.R.S. 30 April 1846; of firm of John Johnson & Sons, assayers
of bullion, metals and minerals, 18A Basinghall st. London,
assayers to the bank of England and the Mint. _d._ Stoke house
near Dartmouth 1 June 1866. _Quarterly Journal of geological
soc. xxiii_ 39–41 (1867); _Proc. of R.S. xvi_ 23–25 (1868).
NOTE.--He made and gave the Wollaston medals to geological society many
years; they were composed of palladium, a metal discovered in platinum,
which in 1867 became so scarce that it sometimes realized ten guineas
per ounce.
JOHNSON, PETER. Professional swimmer. _d._ of inflammation of
lungs in a cab whilst going to the hospital at Prague 4 Jany.
1890.
JOHNSON, ROBERT JAMES. _b._ about 1832; architect at Newcastle;
had a very large practice; A.R.I.B.A. 1861, F.R.I.B.A. 1865;
F.S.A. _d._ Rock villa, Tunbridge Wells 18 April 1892.
JOHNSON, THOMAS MARR. _b._ Appleby, Lincs. 29 June 1826; ed.
Winterton, Lincs. and at Ripon; A.I.C.E. 6 April 1852, M.I.C.E.
7 Feb. 1863; res. engineer river Nene and Norfolk estuary works;
with B. Baker (under J. Fowler’s instructions) res. engineer of
Metropolitan railway, superintended design and execution 1860–9;
member of firm of G. Smith & Co. builders and contractors, Feb.
1870 to death; with W. Mills superintended construction of
Holborn viaduct station, London. _d._ 14 Westbourne st. Hyde
park, London 20 July 1874. _Min. of Proc. I.C.E. xxxix_ 268–9
(1875).
JOHNSON, JOSEPH TOWERS, stage name of Edward Joseph Towers.
_b._ Kentish town, London 26 March 1815; clerk to Goding and
Broadwood, ale brewers; made first appearance as Claude in The
Bear hunt, Marylebone theatre 1835; at the Pavilion 1835–7, at
the Garrick 1839, at Surrey 1840–7, at Lyceum 1847, at Sadler’s
Wells; lessee Victoria theatre Nov. 1856 to 1866; stage manager
for John Coleman on the Northern circuit 7 or 8 years; the Isaac
Levi and Mr. Eden in the original cast of ‘Never too late to
mend,’ produced at Royal theatre, Leeds 1864. _d._ 37 Mitford
place, Upper Kennington lane, London 8 July 1891. _bur._ Tooting
cemetery 13 July. _Theatrical Times_, _ii_ 225, 242 (1847),
_portrait_; _The Players_, _iii_ 311 (1860), _portrait_.
JOHNSON, WILLIAM (3 son of James Johnson of Kendal, attorney,
who _d._ 1828). _b._ Kendal 1823; sub-editor of the Glasgow
Practical mechanics’ and engineers’ magazine 1845–48; started
The Practical Mechanics’ Journal, Glasgow 1848, edited it 1848
to death, 16 vols.; patent agent at Glasgow; A.I.C.E. 1850;
edited Practical draughtsman’s book of industrial design 1861;
author of The imperial cyclopædia of machinery 1852–6; with J.
H. Johnson of Abstract of the patent law amendment act 1852.
_d._ Glasgow 10 June 1864.
JOHNSON, WILLIAM. _b._ Cumberland 1784; ed. St. John’s coll.
Camb. 1810, B.D. 1827; C. of Grasmere 1811, teacher at Grasmere
sch., and a friend of Wordsworth; in charge of National
society’s sch. Holborn, taught on the Bell system 1812,
school removed to Baldwin’s gardens 1814; trainer of masters,
travelling organiser, inspector of schools, and later on cashier
and comptroller of accounts of National Soc. to 1840; called the
Patriarch of National Education; R. of St. Clement’s Eastcheap
with St. Martin’s Orgar, London 19 Oct. 1820 to death. _d._ 29
Martin’s lane, Cannon st. London 20 Sep. 1864. _G.M. xvii_ 526,
661 (1864).
JOHNSON, WILLIAM. _b._ Hindley near Wigan, Lancs. 7 March 1831;
ed. at Stonyhurst, Ampleforth and Prior park, Bath; missioner at
St. Mary’s on the Quay, Bristol 1853–6 and at Chippenham, Wilts.
1856–9; assist. priest at pro-cathedral, Liverpool 1859–62;
priest at Breck, Poulton-le-Fylde 1862–79 and at Lydiate 1879
to death; composer of Litany of B.V.M. for four voices 1872;
Hail! holy Joseph hail! for four voices 1874; Missa de Sancta
Maria 1880; Hail, thou resplendent star. Chorus with solo 1881;
The lion and the bear 1878 and his other comic song obtained
popularity. _d._ Lydiate 9 Oct. 1885. _Gillow’s English
Catholics_, _iii_ 641 (1887); _Liverpool Catholic Almanac_
(1886) _p._ 96, _portrait_.
JOHNSON, WILLIAM AUGUSTUS. _b._ 1776; ensign of a new
independent company of foot 18 Sep. 1793; captain 32 foot 7
Jany. 1795, lieut. col. 17 May 1810 to 18 Aug. 1814 when placed
on h.p.; L.G. 23 Nov. 1841; retired from the army 1855; M.P.
Boston 1820–26, M.P. Oldham 1837–47; sheriff of Lincolnshire